Stormarn County

Introduction of Stormarn County

Stormarn County (Kreis Stormarn) is located between the ports of Hamburg and Lübeck. Its area is 766 km2, with c. 221.000 inhabitants. On 31 December 2011 it s divided into 6 cities, 4 separate municipalities and 45 municipalities within 5 subcounties (Ämter). County-seat: Bad Oldesloe . Medio 2006 there were 52 municipal arms in use - 47
municipal arms, 4 coats of arms of Ämter and the county arms.
Source: Stormarn County websiteJarig Bakker(?), 13 Dec 2007

Introduction:
The Saxonian shire of Stormarn was among others mentioned within the Gudrun Saga (compiled around 1230). Besides the proper county of Holstein also Stormarn was a stronghold of the counts of the Schauenburg kin. They added the denomination "Count of Stormarn" (comes Stormariae) to their title.
Since 600 Saxonians settle down in the region. Around 810 Franconian king Karl the Great builds the Limes Saxoniae, a wall between Saxons and Slavic tribes (Wenden).
1111: Count Adolf I of Schauenburg-Holstein gaines the fiefdom over Stormarn. The shire includes also nowadays Pinneberg County and the Krempe Marshes.
1322: Stormarn is divided. Alster River becomes the western border of the new shire.
1762-1773: Stormarn cedes the districts of Reinbek, Reinfeld, Rethwisch, Tremsbüttel and Trittau to Denmark.
1867: Stormarn becomes a county within the newly formed Prussian province of Schleswig-Holstein.
1867-1873: Reinbek is the seat of the county.
1873 - 1949: Wandsbek is the seat of the county.
1901: Wandsbek becomes a county-free city, remains however the seat of the county.
1927: Due to the Unterelbegebietsgesetz Schiffbek, Öjendorf and Kirchsteinbek merge and establish the municipality of Billstedt.
1937: Due to the Groß-Hamburg-Gesetz Stormarn cedes 12 municipalities to Hamburg, among them Billstedt, Lohbrügge, Rahlstedt and the "wood villages" (Walddörfer). Großhansdorf with Schmalenbeck is ceded by Hamburg to Stormarn.
since 1949: Bad Oldesloe is officially the seat of the county, after the administration had been transformed to Bad Oldesloe temporarily since 1943.
1970: Stormarn cedes Glashütte and Harksheide to the newly formed city of Norderstedt (Segeberg County).

Stormarn County Flag

Description of flag:
The ratio is 3:5. It is an armorial flag.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 Feb 2013

Stormarn Coat of Arms

image by Jörg Majewski, 13 Dec 2007

Description of coat of arms:
In a red shield is a silver (=white) combat swan, wearing a golden (= yellow) coronet around the middle of his neck.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 Feb 2013

Meaning:
The swan as arms for the county Stormarn first appears in the arms of Prince Johann of Denmark in the end of the 15th century. The county belonged to the Duchy of Holstein, a possession of the Danish Kings. Ever since all rulers over the area used the swan as symbol for Stormarn.
The arms can be considered canting. Stormarn comes from Stürmen and the swan is considered a "stürmischer" (attacking) bird. According to legend the swan was chosen as a symbol by Konrad von Megenberg in 1350, but there is no historical evidence.
Source: Ralf Hartemink's site based upon Stadler 1964, p.87, p.87
Jarig Bakker(?), 13 Dec 2007

At the end of the 15th century the Stormarn swan appears on the seal of the Danish crown prince Hans (German: Johann), probably in connection with the upgrade of Holstein in 1474 (County to Duchy). Since then Holstein, Stormarn and Dithmarschen are considered by the Danish kings as a unit. Emperor Friedrich III gained the fiefdom over the new duchy to the Danish crown prince. According to Stadler the first ruler using the swan in arms and seal was Christian I of Denmark (1448-1481). Since 1515 the swan appeared continuously in the seals of Danish kings, later also in the arms of the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf and the Sonderburg branch lines.
The combat swan is somehow a canting element. According to Konrad von Megenberg (around 1350) swans were said having a fierce and rapturous (German: stürmisch) nature. The swan thus became a symbol of the Stormari (Middle High German: Stürmen), the inhabitants of Stormarn. Being a symbol of Stormarn for ages the arms were approved officially in the middle of the 20th century. The combat swan can also be found within the arms of the municipalities of the historical Krempe Marsh, in the county arms of Steinburg, the arms of Nordstormarn Subcounty, the city of Neumünster and the municipalities of Siek and Todendorf.
Source: Reißmann 1997, p.33 and Stadler 1964, p.87

The flag was approved on 30 July 1981. The coat of arms was approved on 27 March 1947, in use since 1867 and confirmed on 18 December 1959 by the county's Hauptsatzung.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 Feb 2013

back to index page of Schleswig-Holstein counties, cities and municipalities click here.